Landlords have been warned of evictions as consultations on split flats begin in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities have vowed to seriously monitor complaints of forced evictions of tenants from segregated apartments, as a two-month consultation on a regulatory regime to crack down on substandard housing began on Monday.

The government previously proposed new laws that would allow only registered apartments known as “basic housing units” that meet certain criteria to remain on the rental market, while landlords who break the rules could face up to three years in prison.

At a meeting of the Legislative Council’s housing committee on Monday, a number of lawmakers expressed concern that some landlords could illegally evict tenants to make repairs before regulations are finalized.

“Even before the law was passed, the owners had already started renovating their apartments,” said New People’s Party lawmaker Dominic Lee Ts-King.

“We don’t know if they’re evicting tenants intentionally or unintentionally, but it’s very disturbing to the tenants. How will the state protect the evicted residents?”

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-loong responded: “We have repeatedly stressed that the rent control rules cover the rights of tenants.”